Catheter robot and human-machine interface for controlling a module for driving an elongate flexible medical instrument

Abstract

A catheter robot including a drive module for an elongated flexible medical instrument, in translation along a main elongation axis of the elongated flexible medical instrument and in rotation around the main elongation axis of the elongated flexible medical instrument, simultaneously or alternatively, a human-machine interface for controlling the drive module. The human-machine interface is structured to, in a first mode of operation, control the translation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in speed, and control the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in position.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A catheter robot comprising:
 a drive module for an elongated flexible medical instrument, in translation along a main elongation axis of said elongated flexible medical instrument and in rotation around the main elongation axis of said elongated flexible medical instrument, simultaneously or alternatively,   a human-machine interface for controlling said drive module,   
       wherein said human-machine interface is structured to, in a first mode of operation:
 control, in speed, the translation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument, 
 control, in position, the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument. 
 
     
     
         23 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein said human-machine interface comprises:
 a mobile control organ:   intended to be manipulated by the hand of a user,   and structured so that, in the first mode of operation:   a translation movement of said mobile control organ with a translation amplitude causes a translation movement of said elongated flexible medical instrument with a speed proportional to said translation amplitude,   a rotation movement of said mobile control organ with a rotation amplitude causes a rotation movement of said elongated flexible medical instrument with a rotation angle proportional to said rotation amplitude.   
     
     
         24 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface is structured to:   control the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in position, with a proportionality coefficient between the rotation movement of said control organ and the rotation movement of said elongated flexible medical instrument,   said proportionality coefficient being adjustable by a selection made by the user of the catheter robot.   
     
     
         25 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface for control comprises:   a control organ for driving, in translation and rotation, said elongated flexible medical instrument,   a safety element, allowing to block or unblock the drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument by said control organ for driving.   
     
     
         26 . The catheter robot according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 said safety element comprises a safety surface capable of detecting the contact or pressure of the user's hand to unblock said control organ for driving,   said safety surface being preferably a touch surface, or a capacitive touch surface, or a capacitive touch surface covered with a coating including titanium, or a capacitive touch surface covered with titanium paint.   
     
     
         27 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface for control includes:   haptic feedback for only the translation of the elongated flexible medical instrument,   preferably in the form of vibrations,   or preferably in the form of vibrations whose frequency is proportional to the translation speed of the elongated flexible medical instrument.   
     
     
         28 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein the human-machine interface is structured to, in a second mode of operation:
 control the translation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in speed,   control the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in speed.   
     
     
         29 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface for control includes:   a rod:   which is translatable by the hand of a user to drive said elongated flexible medical instrument in translation,   which is rotatable by the hand of a user to drive said elongated flexible medical instrument in rotation,   and which preferably includes a touch surface.   
     
     
         30 . The catheter robot according to  claim 29 , wherein:
 said rod comprises two parts sliding into each other:   a first part that is mobile in translation and rotation and is intended to be manipulated by the hand of a user,   a second part that is coupled in rotation with said first part, and that is decoupled in translation from said first part to remain fixed in translation.   
     
     
         31 . The catheter robot according to  claim 29 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface also includes:   a rotating ring disposed around said rod, the rotation angle of said rotating ring around said rod being representative of the selected rotation speed for said elongated flexible medical instrument, during a speed control of the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument.   
     
     
         32 . The catheter robot according to  claim 30 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface also includes:   a return elastic element, in the rest position, of said rotating ring disposed around said rod, the return elastic element preferably comprising a return spring.   
     
     
         33 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface for control includes:   a crank:   
       which is rotatable by the hand of a user to drive said elongated flexible medical instrument in rotation. 
     
     
         34 . The catheter robot according to  claim 23 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface for control also includes:   a return elastic element, in the rest position, for the translation drive only, of said mobile control organ or said rod, said return elastic element preferably comprising a return spring.   
     
     
         35 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , further comprising:
 another drive module for another elongated flexible medical instrument, in translation along a main elongation axis of said other elongated flexible medical instrument and in rotation around the main elongation axis of said other elongated flexible medical instrument,   said human-machine interface also controlling said other drive module and being structured to, in the first mode of operation:   control, in speed, the translation drive of said other elongated flexible medical instrument,   control, in position, the rotation drive of said other elongated flexible medical instrument.   
     
     
         36 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , further comprising:
 an additional drive module, in translation, for an additional elongated flexible medical instrument, said additional elongated flexible medical instrument surrounding said elongated flexible medical instrument over part of its length,   
       in that:
 said human-machine interface also controls said additional drive module, and in that: 
 said human-machine interface is structured to control the translation drive of said additional elongated flexible medical instrument in speed. 
 
     
     
         37 . The catheter robot according to  claim 35 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface for control also includes:   a knob that is rotatable by the hand of a user to control in speed and drive in translation said additional elongated flexible medical instrument.   
     
     
         38 . The catheter robot according to  claim 37 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface for control also includes:   an additional return elastic element for the knob in the rest position, which preferably comprises one or more additional return springs.   
     
     
         39 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein said human-machine interface is structured to:
 control, only in speed, the translation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument,   control, only in position, the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument.   
     
     
         40 . The catheter robot according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 said human-machine interface is structured, in a third mode of operation, to:   control the translation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in position, step by step, i.e., by moving a predetermined step with each impulse received by the human-machine interface,   control the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in position, step by step, i.e., by moving a predetermined step with each impulse received by the human-machine interface.   
     
     
         41 . A human-machine interface for controlling a drive module of an elongated flexible medical instrument, in translation along a main elongation axis of said elongated flexible medical instrument and in rotation around the main elongation axis of said elongated flexible medical instrument, in a catheter robot, wherein it is structured to, in a first mode of operation:
 control the translation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in speed,   control the rotation drive of said elongated flexible medical instrument in position.   
     
     
         42 . The human-machine interface according to  claim 41 , further comprising:
 a mobile control organ:   intended to be manipulated by the hand of a user,   and structured so that, in the first mode of operation:   a translation movement of said mobile control organ with a translation amplitude causes a translation movement of said elongated flexible medical instrument with a speed proportional to said translation amplitude,   a rotation movement of said mobile control organ with a rotation amplitude causes a rotation movement of said elongated flexible medical instrument with a rotation angle proportional to said rotation amplitude.